Discovered in an Alley
by obsessedwanime
Summary: Nightwing and Batgirl find an injured young woman in an alley one night while patrolling the streets of Gotham City. How will the League and Team react when they learn she can send Impulse back to the future? Eventual NightwingxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: the first few chapters will seem kinda slow, but I promise they are leading somewhere.**

* * *

Nothing sucks more than laying in a dirty, stinky alley when you can't move. I should know, I was in that situation for two days before anyone helped me. I still don't know how I got there, but you'd think people would have more compassion in a city plagued by criminals with varying degrees of sanity. I knew there are areas of the city that not many people are brave enough to walk about, but to see only a handful of people in two days is ridiculous!

I woke up in the alley on my back to the oh, so delightful smell of rotting garbage. Police sirens wailed in the background several streets over. I tried to move my legs, but to no avail. I remained in the same position I found myself in when I awoke – my torso flat and correctly aligned with my knees bent to the right and lying flat on the ground. I knew something must have happened because 1) I didn't remember arriving in the alley, 2) I wasn't feeling any pain in my legs or any other part of my body, and 3) the extent of my mobility was propping myself up on my elbows.

I was situated so that I was looking away from the nearest end of the alley in front of which was a Laundromat with an obnoxiously bright, neon sign. The other end was about ten yards away and with the poor lighting that seems constant in Gotham City coupled with my terrible eye sight I couldn't see out the other end, which was very inconvenient. I made it a point to not fall asleep so that I wouldn't miss any potentially helpful passersby.

It was night when my savior finally arrived. I heard some clanking and what sounded like fist fighting a few buildings down to my right. The sound drifted down to me, not across the street. _They must be on a roof_, I thought. It wasn't an uncommon experience with the Caped Crusader and his crime fighting companions patrolling the streets. I decided to keep my eyes up in case they started making their way towards me. After a few minutes of looking up at an empty sky, I grew bored. _They must have gone the other way_. I hadn't eaten in two days and the only water I had had since then was whatever I was able to gather in my mouth the night before what it rained (which wasn't much). I was about to succumb to a malnutrition and dehydration induced sleep when I saw a lithe, caped figure swing across my alley. _Batgirl?_ I wanted to call out her name, but once I could no longer see her, I figured she was already out of ear-shot. Shortly after, another person began to swing across my alley, this one was not caped. "Nightwing!" I did my best to shout but it came out more as a hoarse whisper in comparison to the police sirens down the street.

Just as I had decided that he hadn't heard me, I saw the outline of a man's upper body appear over the edge of the building to my left. "Anyone down there?" he called.

I could only manage one word, "Help." It sounded as pathetic as my previous attempt at speech. But to my amazement he climbed over the side of the building and made his way down to me.

"What's wrong?" was the first thing he said when he appeared at my side. After two days of being ignored by the handful of passersby, I half expected him to sound irritated at being detained by such a feeble creature as myself, but he sounded genuinely concerned. I couldn't see his eyes because of his stupid mask, but by the light of the obnoxious Laundromat sign I could see that his concern was in fact genuine.

"Nightwing! Is everything alright down there?" called a female voice from above. _So I was right_, I thought as I began to drift off to sleep.

"No. You have to stay awake," Nightwing said as he shook my shoulder, effectively jarring me back to full consciousness. "Batgirl, call an ambulance. This girl needs medical attention," was yelled up to the sky where I could see Batgirl's silhouette leaning over the same building Nightwing had come down from. "When was the last time you slept?" _That's an odd question for Batgirl_, I thought. He shook my shoulder again and repeated his question, only then did I discover that it was intended for me.

"Two days," I replied in my pathetic whisper of a voice. "Water?" I asked, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Sorry, no. Not until the doctors at the hospital give the okay," Nightwing replied as I expected. _No need to have me puking on the operating table, since it will come to that_. "What hurts?"

"Nothing." As that one word left my lips, I wondered for the first time since waking in this disgusting alley _why_ I wasn't in pain. Clearly, I should be in tremendous pain due to my legs, but I wasn't. _Oh god, I'm paralyzed._ My single biggest fear in the whole world must have become a reality, it was the only explanation. I didn't get to linger on this thought for long, though, for I could hear the ambulance zooming down the street towards us. Instead, I focused on Nightwing, the straight angular lines of his jaw, the way his black hair fell in his eyes as he looked down on me. His familiarity to an old friend was a comforting distraction from reality.

The next thing I knew, I was being lifted onto something soft with rails and being hauled into an ambulance. It was then that I realized I should thank Nightwing. Unfortunately, the doors shut before I could suck in the air for the two words. _And now I'll probably never see him in person again_, was my last thought before I put all my concentration into staying awake for a little while longer.

The next few hours went by in a blur as I concentrated on keeping my eyes open while waiting to be told that I could finally sleep. The words didn't come until the doctors and nurses began to prep me for surgery as they gave me the anesthesia. I happily obeyed.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Beep…Beep…Beep.**_

_**Click….Clank…Shuffle.**_

These rhythmic, repeating sounds were what registered first as I slowly regained consciousness. The second thing to register was the fact that my throat no longer felt as dry as a desert. _Sweet!_ I could tell it was going to be bright when I opened my eyes by the orangey color of my eyelids. I quickly opened my eyes only to close them again just as quickly. _Ugh_. _It is bright. God!_ I tried again, opening them slowly this time, allowing them to adjust to the abundant light. Once they were fully open, I realized I was in a hospital room. Thus the beeping was a heart monitor. _Ugh, that's gonna get annoying REALLY quickly._

"Oh good, you're awake!" said a woman that may or may not have been a nurse – with my poor eyesight and all health care providers looking alike, I couldn't tell. "I'll go get the doctor." _Nurse then. And the beeping just got annoying._

A few minutes passed by during which I examined my surroundings. The room was so stereotypical with its lack of color or originality it made me sad. A few of the ceiling tiles had what I hoped were water stains. My sheets were a bit rough and very white. _What do they do? Wash these things in pure bleach?_

"So, you're awake," said some guy dressed in a long white coat holding a clipboard. _Must be the doctor._

"Sure am. How long was I out?" I asked, afraid of the answer – my boss isn't the nicest person on the planet.

"Just a few days. Perfectly normal for someone in your condition," he stated while looking at my vital machines and writing stuff down.

"And what exactly is my condition?"

"A fractured right femur and your left leg was dislocated from your hip. That was easily taken care of, though. It's best if you don't move for a while. You were also malnourished and dehydrated when you came in, but thanks to those IVs, let's taken care of too," he replied very nonchalantly, not even bothering to look me in the eyes.

"Am I paralyzed?" I held my breath. This was it. _My life just might be over in a few seconds_.

"No," he looked like he thought I was crazy. "What a ridiculous notion. There's no injury to the spine, thus no paralysis." He shook his head whilst looking at the floor. He took a few steps toward the door and stopped. "By the way, Commissioner Gordon has some questions for you and will be here shortly," and with that said, he left.

_Commissioner Gordon. Cops must want to find the guys that messed with my legs._ There's not much to do in a hospital, so I decided to prep myself for Gordon's questions. _No doubt he'll want to know what I remember prior to waking up in that dumb alley._ _Let's see. Woke up. Went to work. Worked. Came home. Ate dinner. Talked to some friends. Went to bed. Then I woke up in the alley._ _Huh_.

"Hello, miss, I'm Commissioner Gordon. And you are…?" said a middle-aged mustached man who was sitting in the chair next to my bed. I hadn't even noticed him come in, never mind sit down.

"Sydney Marks," I said crossing my arms. _I don't have a concussion, so no amnesia. You'd think the doctors would've told him that._

"I found Miss Marks. She's at the hospital," this was said into the collar of his shirt. _Must have some hidden microphone or something._ "So, Miss Marks, what is the last thing you remember before waking to Nightwing finding you?"

_Knew it,_ I sighed, "First off, I woke up two days _before_ Nightwing found me. I was only falling asleep because I hadn't slept since I woke up." _Wow, way to see me as helpless._ "To answer your question, I remember going to bed and that's it."

"You don't remember anyone breaking into your house? Or beating you up?" he asked completely unfazed.

"Nope. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper."

"Ok, fine. What is your address? Do we have permission to search your house for clues to who might have attacked you?"

"Can't you use motor vehicle to find out my address?"

"Yes, but it's a tedious process, especially since you're the victim, not a suspect," he replied while attempting to loosen his tie.

"Fine," I said hanging onto the beginning of the word, "It's 1410 30th Street, _Apartment_ 3E. And yes you have my permission. Take and do whatever you need to, just don't eat the food."

"Thank you, Miss Marks. We will be in touch if we need anything else," he said as he stood up already taking a few steps toward the door. I swear, if he had been wearing a hat, he would have tipped it.

After he left, I resumed staring at the ceiling. Because of my terrible vision – I can barely see anything clearly without my glasses – I still couldn't tell what sort of stains were on the ceiling. _Probably couldn't tell even with my glasses!_ It didn't matter, but it kept my mind busy and away from the inevitable boredom that was looming over my head like a cartoon raincloud that follows you around.

* * *

After three days, I was discharged from the hospital. I was confined to a wheelchair for the next two weeks with my right leg entirely encased in a cast. After which time, the doctors would re-assess my condition, blah, blah, blah.

Thank God my building was newer and had an elevator; otherwise, I would've been screwed. The cops told me that there were signs of forced entry, but as far as they could tell, nothing was taken.

Upon entering my apartment, I did a once over. Checked my purse, everything was there. TV and laptop were where I had left them. Phone was still on my nightstand, completely dead. _Not very surprising_, I thought with a sigh. I plugged it in to charge and attempted a shower. It didn't turn out very well what with me sitting on the edge of the tub with the curtain half closed and trying not to get water all over the floor. Needless to say, I nearly fell into the tub on numerous occasions.

When I gave up on that, I went back to check my phone. A bunch of texts awaited me along with several missed calls from work and a voicemail. I went to the voicemail first and was given a surprise.

"_Miss Marks,"_ it began in the voice of my supervisor, _"I have been informed of your condition and whereabouts by Commissioner Gordon himself. According to your last report, you are ahead of schedule on Project Tempus. Therefore, the directors have seen it fit to keep you on the Project for the time being. Accommodations will be made as seen fit. Call Star Labs' Aid and Disability Department as soon as you get this message. Goodbye."_

"So, I still have a job. Sweet!" I said to myself as I moved to check the safe in my closet. I removed the mound of shoes that surrounded it and typed in the nine digit password. It opened and everything was still there, except for the original blueprints to Project Tempus. _Crap._


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back! For now. I have no idea how frequently I'll update because I'm so swamped with work for classes. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

When I found my blueprints missing, I immediately called the only other STAR Labs employee that knew about Project Tempus, my supervisor. Needless to say, she wasn't happy and neither were the Feds commissioning the project. I would have been fired right then if they weren't old prints. Lucky for me, I had only kept a few minor details from them for the current version of the project. Despite that, they still needed to be found.

I thought the FBI or CIA would get the job, but they asked the Justice League of all people to do it. At least with the Feds, I wouldn't have to disclose any information about the project to them for the job to get done. Feds understand a need to know basis, certain members of the League don't. I would have tried to get the League out of it except: (1) I didn't have the power and (2) no one would have agreed with me anyway.

_Granted, they do have some of the best – if not the best – detectives in the country. The Bats sure are a prime example. But even they're gonna ask too many questions. If word gets out, who knows what will happen! People will lose their heads for sure…Figuratively, of course. Plus countless lives could be put in jeopardy. I guess the League is the best option – they are always the ones saving lives – but they better not get too nosey!_

* * *

Gotham City

March 2, 09:58 EST

_I officially hate wheelchairs_. This was my only thought yesterday as I left my first day back at work. My super and I had tried everything to make things work, but my limited mobility proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated. My chair didn't allow me to get low enough to work on my prototype. But once on the floor, I couldn't get the various materials and tools I needed, nor could I get back into my chair without help. To make matters worse, there were no tables that were at a convenient height and sturdy enough to support the machine.

The thought from yesterday returned earlier this morning when I was informed that I'd be playing tour guide. Granted it wasn't worded quite like that, but still. Tour Guide! _Jeez, way to be demoted…This can't be legal_. Despite the thoughts flowing through my head, I didn't voice my complaints out loud. I was lucky to be working for STAR Labs at my age, I wasn't going to blow that.

And so, I waited for the group coming at 10, going over the information I was given to see if there was anything I didn't know. I hadn't been given much, the only new bit was what I could actually show them. There wasn't much of that either.

I was told the group would be from Gotham Academy. They were easy enough to recognize in their blue uniforms when they strolled in right on time. For a bunch of high school kids, they sure did look tall from my vantage point.

"Hello, you must be the group from Gotham Academy. Welcome to STAR Labs!" I said with a lot of forced enthusiasm, "My name is Sydney Marks and I'll be your guide for today. I'm told there should be a total of eleven people. Are we all here?" I directed that last bit at the man who was clearly the teacher due to his lack of a school uniform.

He turned around and did a quick headcount. "Yes, we are."

"Excellent. Everyone," I said with a raised voice, "please attach the nametag with your name – not someone else's – to your shirts or vests where they can be seen at all times." I handed the sheet of sticky name tags to the teacher who proceeded to hand them out to his students.

Once that was taken care of, we began the tour. Out of all that STAR Labs has to offer, I was only able to show them a smidgen of it. They saw the corporate offices at the top of the building where all the boring executive decisions are made. They found these boring too. We visited the labs where the newbies work. The kids had been given clearance to help out and such in there for a few minutes. When they found out, they were ecstatic. _Must be an advanced science class or something_. They all rushed forward and joined the newbies, except one. He moved to stand beside me. His stance reminded me of a soldier due to his straight back, head up and forward, and his hands clasped behind his back. His name tag read, "Timothy Drake."

He spoke before I could. "Didn't you say your name is Sydney Marks?"

I gave him a sidelong glance, "Yees." I turned my eyes back to the rest of the group to find their teacher working just as enthusiastically as his students.

"The same Sydney Marks that was hired six months ago to become the youngest scientist to ever work for STAR Labs at the age of 20?"

"Yees." My reply was accompanied by another sidelong glance.

"Then what can you tell me about Project Tempus?" The volume of this question was less than the others'. _Who _is_ this kid?_

This time, I looked at him straight on – head turned towards him and everything – with a glare. "Nothing. I have never heard of Project Tempus." He finally turned his head towards me and we made eye contact. I wished I had some sort of telepathy superpower in order to communicate one thing to his boy: _Don't mention it again_. I thought it as we maintained eye contact, though. After about 15 seconds, he turned his attention back to his teacher and classmates as they readied themselves to leave the lab. _I hope he got the message. How did he know about that?_

Since that was the last stop on our little tour, I led them back to the lobby. "Have a safe trip back to school!"

Not a minute after the kids left, my super came busting through the doors out of breath. "Sydney!" She bent over double placing her hands on her knees while looking at the floor, panting for a good 30 seconds as she tried to steady her breathing. She raised her head to look at me once her breathing had steadied enough to speak. "I did it! I got you clearance to work on the Erdel Initiative in Taos."


End file.
